A Chronological History
of the U.S. Navy Cruiser
U.S.S. LITTLE ROCK
CL92 / CLG4 / CG4

Page last updated: 25 May 2013

1940 - 1945 1940 - 1942     1943 - 1944     1945
1940 - 1942
29 Oct 40	•	Contract for construction of USS Little Rock CL92 is awarded to William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. (See Note 5. below)
1943 - 1944
06 Mar 43 1943 - 1944	• •	USS Little Rock (CL92) keel laid down by Wm. Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Phila. PA. Ship under construction at Wm. Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding.
14 Aug 44	•	Earl Glen Philbrick enlists in the United States Navy and is sworn in at Spartenburg, SC. See Note 4 below.)
27 Aug 44	•	USS Little Rock is launched, sponsored by Mrs. Samuel Wassell. Arkansas Congressman Brooks Hays provided remarks, and was accompanied by Arkansas Senator John L. McClellan and Junior Congressman J. William Fulbright.  (Click to see news article.)
1945
30 Apr	•	Adolph Hitler commits suicide.
01 - 07 May	•	Various German operations surrender, essentially ending the war in Europe.
08 May	•	Surrender is ratified. VE Day ("Victory in Europe") is celebrated in Europe.
15 Jun	•	Little Rock delivered to U.S. Navy by Cramp Shipbuilding. Crew reports on board.
17 Jun	•	Commissioned, with Capt. William E. Miller in command. Fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA.  (Program)
18-30 Jun	•	Continued fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA.
01-07 Jul	•	Continued fitting out at NSY Philadelphia, PA.
08 Jul	•	Made river run to point 5 miles south of Overfalls Light Vessel. Some problems with battle phone circuits. Returned to NSY Philadelphia, PA.
09 Jul	•	Continued fitting out.
10 Jul	•	Loaded projectiles at Navy Yard, Philadelphia.
11 Jul	•	Continued fitting out.
12 Jul	•	Continued fitting out. Commenced readiness for sea.
13 Jul	•	0700. Moved downriver about 1 mile, to Fort Mifflin, to load Ammo... 5" and 6" shells,  powder cans, aerial depth charges (for seaplanes), and catapult charges. No ammo for 20 mm or 40 mm yet.
14 Jul	• • •	0950 Underway for compass compensating lower Delaware Bay. Anchored at SE end of Brown Shoals in Delaware Bay. 1530 Hanger Bay sprinkler activated. Hanger and Elevator pit sprayed with salt water.
15 Jul	•	Anchored. Equipment testing. and checks. Rain.
16 Jul	•	0700 Underway. GQ. Launch and retrieve planes.  At anchor SE end of  Brown Shoals in Delaware Bay.
17 Jul	• •	0600 Underway. GQ. Fired 6" and 5" guns for structural test. Refueled by USS Elokomin AO 55.
18 Jul	•	1230 moored stbd side to at deperming (degaussing) station, Lambert Pt., Norfolk, VA.
19 Jul	• • •	0600 Underway for Pier #7 NOB, Norfolk, VA. 0739. Moored to Pier #7. Received fuel, provisions and (3) SOC-1 airplanes. (This information was derived from a crew member diary. There is no record of Little Rock ever having SOC-1 seaplanes.  This is most likely an error, and should read "SC-1 seaplanes.) Capt. William E. Miller CO was commissioned an "Arkansas Traveler" on board by Mayor Dan T. Sprick of Little Rock, Arkansas .
20 Jul	• • •	0000 Reported for duty to Commander-in-Chief, US Fleet; Commander-in-Chief, US Atlantic Fleet, and Commander Fleet Operational Training Command.. 0755 Underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba First launch of a Curtiss SC-1 "Seahawk". Aircraft pilot was Lt. Frank.
21 Jul	•	Underway for Guantanamo Bay. Exercised at ship and gunnery drills.
22 Jul	•	Underway for Guantanamo Bay. Exercised at ship and gunnery drills.
23 Jul	• • • •	0800 reported to Commander Training Group Guantanamo Bay for shakedown. 0812 Arrived at entrance buoy 2GBE. Guantanamo Bay. 0842 moored portside of fuel dock BB-1 1511 Anchored - Berth 17.
24 Jul	•	0655 Underway for training.
25 Jul	•	At sea. Training
26 Jul	• • •	0630 Entered Guantanamo Bay. General Quarters drill (6+ hours long) Weather very hot. Crew sleeping topside.
27 Jul	• • •	At anchor Guantanamo Bay. Evening movie "Here Come the Co-eds" with Bud Abbott & Lou Costello. Weather continues very hot. Crew sleeping topside.
28 Jul	• •	At anchor Guantanamo Bay. Personnel Inspection (Saturday)
29 Jul	•	0730 Underway. Practice shore bombardment Culebra Island.  Mount #3 fired a pair of 5" HE with one shell bursting about 20' out of the barrel. Fragments struck ship starting small fires.
30 Jul	•	At sea off South Coast of Cuba. Training and night cruising.
31 Jul	• • •	At sea. Steaming singly south of Cuba. Training in ship handling, night illumination. Heavy seas. Cigarettes in Ship's Store cost 55¢ per carton!
01 Aug	•	At Sea. Full power run. 0600 entered Guantanamo Bay, anchored berth #17.
02 Aug	•	0700 Underway. Casualty, Gunnery and Damage Control Drills. Later anchored berth #17.
03 Aug	•	0700 Underway. Launch and recover aircraft. Drills. 5" guns shot down two (2) sleeves.
04 Aug	•	At sea. Drills and exercises. Ship is secured for heavy weather. Hurricane over Santo Domingo.
05 Aug	•	At sea. Bad weather. Night cruising.
06 Aug	• •	At sea. Exercise 5", 20mm, 40mm. Battle practice. U.S. drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
07 Aug	•	At sea. Shore bombardment exercise. Night tactics and cruising.
08 Aug	• • • •	At sea. 0630 entered Guantanamo Bay. Moored to fueling cay BB-1. Shift to #17. SC-1 Aircraft #35555 was lost off Cuba.  The following info was derived from a Navy accident report:  Accident Date:  8/4/1945 (See Note A. below),  Aircraft Type: SC-1,  Aircraft Number: 35555,  Ship Number: CL-92, Ship Name: USS LITTLE ROCK,  Location: OFF CUBA,  Area: CENLANT,  Pilot: Name not shown (See Note B. below). Evening's movie "Leave it to Blondie" with Penny Sigleton, Arthur Lake and Larry Simms. Note A. It is unlikely that the accident occurred on 04 Aug, as the ship was secured for heavy weather. Note B. John Breslin's Oral History reports that the pilot was Ensign Merriman.
09 Aug	• •	At anchor for upkeep and inspections. U.S. drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
10 Aug	• • • • •	0630 Underway. Exercised towing with USS Portsmouth. Towing wire fouled Portsmouth rudder or propellers. Fired at drones ("Moderate success"). Abandon Ship drills.
11 Aug	•	Exercised fueling, passing stores and personnel with DD864 USS Ellison.
12 Aug	• •	Full power run. Reach ahead from 31 kts to dead-in-water 947 yds. Roast Turkey for dinner
13 Aug	• •	Bombardment rehearsal with USS Portsmouth, Ellison and Turner. Ham for dinner,
14 Aug	•	Received news that the war was over. Done firings, Day Battle practice. Night AA practice.
15 Aug	• • •	0705 Entered Guantanamo Bay for upkeep and inspection. Movie for the evening was "Practically Your's" with Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces the surrender of Japan.
16 Aug	•	At anchor for upkeep and inspection.
17 Aug	•	0700 Underway. AA practice. Refuel, then tow tanker. Counter-measure practice.
18 Aug	•	Shore bombardment, Day Battle and Drone practice. Knocked down drone on 2nd run.
19 Aug	•	Overcast cancels drone exercise. Evening AA practice.
20 Aug	•	Drone practice with 6" and 5". 6" not very close. 5" knocked down drone. 20mm practice.
21 Aug	•	Entered Guantanamo Bay for upkeep prior to COTCLANT Inspection.
22 Aug	•	The evening movie was "Where Do We Go From Here?" with Fred MacMurray and Joan Leslie.
22 - 24 Aug	•	Continued preparations for COTCLANT Inspection.
25 Aug	• • • •	0955 Commenced COTCLANT "At Anchor" Inspection. 1130 Underway for "Underway Portion" of Inspection 1715 Returned to Guantanamo Bay to disembark Inspection Team. 1815 Underway for Culebra for bombardment exercise.
26 Aug	•	Enroute Culebra.
27 Aug	• • • •	Off Culebra. 0754 commenced bombardment. 2025 completed bombardment. Headed northward during the night.
28 Aug	• • •	0826 commenced bombardment. 1130 completed bombardment. Underway for Philadelphia, PA with speed run test enroute
29 Aug	•	Enroute Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA
30 Aug	• •	0700 Enroute Philadelphia 1822 Moored starboard side to at Pier 5, PNY, Philadelphia, PA
31 Aug	•	Moored as before, PNY, Philadelphia, PA
01-16 Sep	•	Undergoing repairs and alterations at Pier 5, PNY, Philadelphia, PA
02 Sep	•	Japan signs surrender on board USS Missouri.
17 Sep	• • •	Entered drydock No. 3 for inspection of rudder post and packing. Packing was renewed. Rudder post was in good condition. Rumors abound that Little Rock will be "the flagship" for the upcoming Navy Day celebrations in New York City, however it turns out that Little Rock will be in San Juan, PR on 27 Oct.
18-19 Sep	•	Hurricane #9 (downgraded to an "extra-tropical depression on 18 Sep) strikes the Mid-Atlantic area with heavy rains and wind of up to 50 mph.
21 Sep	•	Undocked and moved to Pier #5. Continued overhaul work.
23 Sep	•	Yard availability expired.
25 Sep	•	Depart Philadelphia Navy Yard, Phila. PA for Fort Mifflin, PA to load ammunition.
26 Sep	• • • •	0930 Underway for Newport, RI. In lower Delaware Bay by afternoon. General Quarters drill in the evening. Rumors of  South America cruise circulate among the crew.
27 Sep	• •	0830 Anchored, Berth 54, East Passage, Newport, RI in 20 fathoms. USS Augusta CA-31 in port.
28-30 Sep	•	At anchor Berth 54 Newport Harbor.
01 Oct	• •	At anchor. 0815 embarked USS Juneau trainees.
02 Oct	• • •	0900 Underway on first of 3 five-day trips between Goat Is. and Block Is., with Middies from Annapolis (?). All types of drills for them with 1 Day liberty in Newport, RI, each week. Poor weather prevented drills. 1730 Anchored Block Island, in 16 fathoms
03 Oct	•	0800 Underway for drills and General Quarters.
04 Oct	• •	20 and 40mm firing exercises. 1700 Anchored off Block Island.
05 Oct	• • •	0830 Underway for Newport Harbor. 1112 Moored to Buoy #5. 1315 Disembarked trainees.
06-07 Oct	•	Moored Newport Harbor.
08 Oct	•	Received trainees from USS Princeton Commissioning Detail.
09 Oct	• •	Underway for ship handling and AA training. 1640 Anchored east of Block Island.
10 Oct	•	0800 Underway for AA tracking and simulated Air Strikes.
11 Oct	• • •	0723 Entered Narragansett Seaward Channel. 5", 20mm and 40mm exercises. 1725 Anchored east of Block Island.
12 Oct	• •	0830 Underway for Newport Harbor. 1120 Moored to Buoy #5 Newport Harbor.
13-14 Oct	•	At anchor Newport Harbor.
15 Oct	•	0830 Received trainees from USS Princeton Commissioning Detail.
16 Oct	• •	0900 Underway for training in Narragansett Seaward Channel. 1735 Anchored east of Block Island.
17 Oct	• •	0830 Underway for training exercises. AA drills, steering casualty, man over-board. 2035 General Quarters drill.
18 Oct	• •	0737 passed Buoy "A" Narragansett Seaward Channel. Weather prevented gunnery exercise. 1630 Moored to Buoy #5
19-20 Oct	•	Moored to Buoy #5 Newport Harbor. (War Diary discontinued.)
21 Oct	• •	Departed Newport, RI for South America cruise via San Juan, PR. Pass Ambrose Lightship, NY.
22 Oct	•	Little Rock passes Cape Charles, VA
23 Oct	•	Ship is about 100 miles off the coast of Georgia, USA.
24 Oct	•	Off the coast of Florida.
25 Oct	• •	Calm blue seas. 1405 Moored starboard side at Frontier Base Wharf, San Juan, PR.
26 - 27 Oct	•	USS Little Rock holds two-day open house. Hours 1000-1100 and 1300-1600.
27 Oct	•	"Navy Day" celebrations. Approximately 6,800 Puerto Ricans visit the USS Little Rock.
28 Oct	•	CDR J.T. Hazen, XO, USS Little Rock, participates in a radio broadcast (WKAQ).
25-30 Oct (?)	•	Little Rock crew acquires puppy "Hash Mark"
30 Oct	•	1249 hours, underway for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, SA. Start of CL-92's South America cruise.
04 Nov	•	"Davy Jones" arrives aboard Little Rock.
05 Nov	•	0810 hours "King Neptune" arrives on board with his retinue. Crossed the Equator at Longitude 37° 00' W while heading south. Wild "hi-jinks" aboard! "Shellback" certificates and wallet size  cards were issued to all those crew members who were initiated into King Neptune's Court.
06 Nov	•	In port. Rio Grande, Brazil
10 Nov	•	Arrive Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at 1103. Moor starboard side to at Cais del Porto dock.
19 Nov	•	Dress ship in honor of Brazil's Flag Day.
20 Nov	•	1035 Underway after a vigorous inspection for stowaways.
23 Nov	•	An Albatross was sighted by Cdr. Arthur Schultz (the ship's doctor).
24 Nov	• • •	1207 Moored starboard side to at Montevideo, Uruguay. 1500 US Ambassador William Dawson, Ambassador to Uruguay came on board. Ship's Band performs for Ambassador Dawson.
26 Nov	•	Ambassador to Bolivia Pierre Boal comes aboard for lunch.
28 Nov	•	The Polyfonic Choir of the Talleres Don Bosco school performs aboard Little Rock.
30 Nov	•	Uruguayan Railroad hosts rail trip for 300 crew to interior of Uruguay.
03 Dec	•	1032 depart Montevideo, Uruguay for Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
04 Dec (?)	•	"Hash Mark" breaks her leg.
05 Dec	• •	At sea. Planned arrival at Rio Grande do Sul is delayed because of adverse winds and seas. Moored at Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
08 Dec	• •	At Rio Grande do Sul. Ship and Personnel inspection by Captain Miller.
11 Dec	•	At Rio Grande do Sul.
12 Dec	• • •	Moored starboard side at A-2 Porto Nova Dock, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Captain William E. Miller flew to Rio de Janeiro. Evening movie " Sweet Rosie O'Grady".
15 Dec	•	0847 Underway for Santos, Brazil
17 Dec	•	1357 Moored portside abreast Companhia Docas de Armazem (*), Santos (Sao Paulo), Brazil, SA. (*) Armazem Company docks.
18 Dec	• •	Approximately 300 CL92 sailors are guests at a picnic held for the crew of USS Little Rock. Festivities included a barbecue, swimming and a ball game. Rioting breaks out between Japanese, Brazilian civilians and CL92 liberty party. (Note 3.)
19 Dec	•	Liberty for crew is canceled due to unrest in Sao Paulo.
21 Dec	•	1456 Underway for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
22 Dec	•	1058 Moored starboard side to Praca Maua, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 13 day stop!
25 Dec	•	The ship's band performs on the mess decks and plays, among other things, "I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas"
25 Dec	•	Christmas in Rio !!
27 Dec	•	Moored Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Notes:
1.	Date shown for ports generally indicate arrival date.
2.	Port stays are typically 3-5 days.
3.	Rioting involving the Little Rock crew created an international incident.
4.	The letters of Earl Glen Philbeck have contributed greatly to the ship's chronology for the years 1945 and 1946. His letters were sent primarily to his wife Dorothy. Earl was married to Dorothy "Dot" (Gamble) Philbeck, and they had two children, a son Tommy and a daughter Glenda.  Mrs. Philbeck was living in Forest City, NC during the time Earl was in the Navy. Shipmate Philbeck died on 02 Oct 2011. He was predeceased by his wife and son. The letters were part of a collection of Philbeck's Navy memorabilia obtained by USS Little Rock shipmate Wayne McDermott MU2 1968-1970.
5.	Cramp Shipbuilding Company, closed in 1927, was reopened in 1941. Over the next four years the yard would begin construction on six (6) Cleveland Class light cruisers. They were as follows: Builder's Number Name Navy Hull No. Comp. Date 532 Miami CL-89 1942 533 Astoria CL-90 1943 534 Oklahoma City CL-91 1944 535 Little Rock CL-92 1944 536 Galveston CL-93 1945 537 Youngstown CL-94 Not Comp. In addition to the five Light Cruisers completed during this period, Cramp Shipbuilding Company also completed the following other type vessels: (10) Workshop barges,  (5) Ocean Tugs,  (1) Transport ship,  (1) Repair Ship  and (14) Submarines.

Click below to go to another time-frame
1941-1945	1946
1947-1956	1957-1965
1966-1973	1974-1979
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